Love in War Time
by NickiRedTail
Summary: Harry Reminisces about the one who almost got away One-Shot


I had never been the best at expressing my emotions in the healthiest of ways. It would either come out in anger resulting in uncontrollable magic, or I would come out in grief once again resulting in uncontrollable magic. So when it came to women I never knew exactly how to express myself, hell I had a hard time even speaking to women. However, that didn't mean women didn't find it hard to talk to me. No they never had a problem whether they were stalking me or telling me to piss off women generally were not afraid to speak their minds around me. However there was this one woman who was fiery and clever and she never had a problem speaking her mind to anyone. It wasn't always that way, she used to be more introverted, but as she got older she grew into her confidence and became the woman who caught my eye. She caught my eye before anyone really noticed her even. Well before my red headed 'best friend' did anyways.

Hermione Granger, she was the epitome of classic beauty. She was smart and well-spoken and she wasn't afraid to put anyone in their place. She did have a nagging issue but above all that I knew that she only nagged us because she cared. She always cared, even when we were heartless and didn't care for her. I wish I had the balls to ask her out during the yule ball. I tried to hint at it, but again I'm no good and expressing my emotions with women. She was one of my best friends what if she didn't like me that way and I ended up ruining the only good thing in my life?!

I thought I would have a chance after the ball, until Ron mucked that up for me and was a jealous prat over Hermione and Victor Krum. It was then that I realized that Ron fancied Hermione. I made to ask him about it but he turned red faced and insulted her.

 _"What?! Of course I don't like that bucktoothed, bushy haired know-it-all"_ He spat

It took everything in me not to punch him in the face. However, even though I'm terrible with women Ron was worse. He wasn't fooling anyone with his cocked up defense over liking Hermione, everyone in Gryffindor could tell.

I waited for years for Ron to either ask Hermione out or get on with his life. It turned out that he decided to in a way do both? At first he decided to hurt Hermione by kissing Lavender in front of her, I would have taken then and there to go for Hermione. Instead I decided to just be her friend and comfort her. She mentioned me liking Ginny Weasley but, I never assured or denied that. Maybe I should have.

Ginny Weasley. I didn't want her, but she wanted me. I had detention one night for fighting with the bouncing ferret, and had missed the Quidditch Cup final; I enter the common room only wanting to go to bed when Ginny runs towards me with the Cup in her hand. I'm not sure why I kissed her, honestly I panicked. If I had known it would set everything awry I wouldn't have. I scanned the common room looking for Hermione, she was beaming at me but behind her eyes I could have sworn I seen sadness. I wouldn't know for sure I left the common room with Ginny.

So there it was I was dating Ginny. Of course I couldn't date her forever she isn't the one that I wanted, so I broke up with her that following summer. We were going to be leaving anyways to search for Horcruxes. Hermione, Ron and I. They had finally stopped fighting; Ron had broken up with Lavender which meant that he was once again being a prat towards Hermione. Isn't it little kids who pick and tease the girl they like instead of just telling them?

The hunt was hard and draining on all of us. Some more than others, I knew Ron was going to explode because I myself was close to exploding. Only one of us who seemed alright in the head was of course Hermione. So the day that Ron walked out on us, I was relieved but I was also terrified. I didn't know if he would be alright hell I didn't know if I would be alright.

He left Hermione crying and that pissed me off. However I wasn't going to let my anger pass up another chance to be with Hermione. I was comforting her and I don't know what possessed me but I kissed her, I kissed her with all the emotion and passion I could muster. I kissed her in a way I never kissed Ginny before.

We made love that night, it was the first time for both of us and it was one of the most magical nights of my life. Ron was gone for three months, and they were the best three months of my life. For those three months, it was just me and Hermione. We did everything together, we slept together every night. Sleeping we were only sleeping though we did have sex again, many times. We helped each other out in time of need like when we were almost killed by Nagini. I thought what we had would never end, I thought it would never have to end.

What's that saying _"All good things must come to an end?"_ It did come to an end, it did the night Ron came back and saved my life. I'm grateful for him saving my life, but with him back Hermione and I went back to just being friends. We never even tried once Ron got back, and things became more complicated because our Horcrux hunt got intense. I honestly figured that once everything calmed down that we would talk to Ron about us. We never got the chance.

We were captured, Hermione was tortured, we broke into Gringotts and fled for our lives on the back on a dragon. Then was the Battle of Hogwarts, where everything went to shit. We won, but we lost way too many people. Ron and Ginny had lost a brother, Tonks and Remus died. There was so much death and tragedy no one truly knew how to deal.

I knew that what I wanted most was to hug Hermione, but when I saw her she was hugging Ron as he sobbed into her shoulder. I just knew that her going to him only meant that she wanted to be with him afterall. So I left the Great Hall dejected, I just needed time alone to think about my next move when I felt someone tap my shoulder.

It was Ginny. She say down on a boulder next to me and rested her head on my shoulder and began to cry. The only thing I knew to do was to wrap my arms around her as she cried. She cried for about an hour before she looked up at me with her big brown watery eyes and asked me what I dreaded.

 _"Have you come home to me? To us?"_

I knew I couldn't keep lying to her to myself otherwise I would never find happiness. I told her the truth, I told her that I loved her but as a sister, that I wasn't in love with her. She cried some more, and said that she understands. She wanted to know if there was someone else. So I told her the truth.

 _"Yes there is, but I don't think she wants me the same way I want her."_

I promised her that I would always be there for her and that I would never let her down again, as a brother or a friend.

As we walked back into the Great Hall many people were gone, including Ron and Hermione. I silently wished them the best and kept looking forward. I helped with what I could at Hogwarts and left. I attended the funeral for Fred however I didn't stay long to say much of anything to anybody. I did see Hermione's hair. She was sitting with Ron and Ginny and looking around a lot. I didn't have the guts to talk to her or Ron for that matter. I would but it would take some time.

So that's where I am at now. I haven't seen or spoken to my two best friends in two months. It's the cowards way I know but I've been brave my whole life, I deserve this. I've been staying in a small cottage in the Forest of Dean, where I spent the happiest moments of my life. I've been enjoying my solitude when I hear a raucous outside of my cottage. This shouldn't be because I've warded it.

I step outside, only to find a red faced Hermione waving her wand around like a maniac. She was breaking down my wards. How did she find me? I don't know what to do I'm frozen on my stoop when the final ward falls and she spots me standing here like an idiot.

 _"Harry James Potter I could kill you. Do you know we've been looking for you for two whole months_!" She shouts

She is beautiful, her hair is wild and her honey brown eyes are alit with a fire that I haven't seen since we were here last.

 _"How dare you run away from me!"_ She continues.

 _"I didn't want to be a nuisance Hermione. I thought it would be easier."_ I mumble

 _"Easier to what? Just for you to sleep with me and then leave me?"_ She begins to cry.

 _"No, easier for you and Ron. I –"_

I didn't get a chance to finish as she rushes towards me and pulls me into a searing kiss.

 _"There isn't a Ron and I. You complete idiot. I told him such the night of the Final Battle. I was waiting for you to come so I could tell you. That I am in love with you Harry James Potter."_

 _"I'm in love with you Hermione. I've always been, it's never stopped."_

 _"Then promise you'll stay with me. Be with me, stop running."_

 _"What about Ron?"_

 _"He is fine! We were looking around at the funeral so we could talk to you. He is fine, I promise."_

 _"Are we fine?"_ I ask skeptically

" _We will be once you take me into this nice cabin, and have your way with me."_ She smirks suggestively.

 _"I will. And I promise to stay with you, always. By the way, how did you find me_?" I ask as I pick her up bridal style.

 _"Brightest Witch of the age. Besides I could find you wherever you run off too, how lucky am I to know that you would go someplace special to you."_

 _"Damn right it's special."_ I say carrying her over the threshold and kicking the door shut with my foot.


End file.
